Before the Storm
by smileyniley487
Summary: Miley Stewart has been signed on to write a duet with her ex-boyfriend Nick Lucas and this puts a strain on her relationship with Jake. Will Niley return to how it was before the storm? Rated M for language & themes XxNileyxX HannahMontana
1. Chapter 1: Friday Night

_Summary: Miley Stewart has been signed on to write a duet with her ex-boyfriend Nick Lucas and this puts a strain on her relationship with Jake. Can Nick manage to find a way to get things back between them to the way they were before the storm? Rated T for language and mature themes. **xxNileyxx **Crossover: Hannah Montana & JONAS._

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit work of fan fiction written by smileyniley487 :) I do not own and/or associate or liaise with Disney, Miley Cyrus, JONAS or any of the JoBros or associated third parties or any parties but I do love them and their work dearly.

Chapter One - Friday Night

It's Friday night and Nick is at a stupid party. He is here against his will; Joe and Kevin guilt tripped him to come along. The Lucas Brothers are forever being invited to every party on the block, but this is the first time he's found Joe and Kevin so eager to attend, and he didn't want to be the odd man out. True, he'd rather be at home playing the Xbox with Frankie; it never seems like he gets to spend _any_ time with the little guy anymore. And Nick is a grounded type of guy. But he is at the party, and while Joe and Kevin seem to be having a good time, Nick is bored and is starting to wish he never came.

He strides over to the counter to get another diet coke, and narrowly avoids being made to dance with a cute blonde girl he'd rather not be seen with - since Joe tried to set them up. It isn't her fault though, and had Nick taken a moment longer to look at her she might have been worth his while. But it's not that. Nick isn't interested in dating anymore - not after last time - and he's never been one for casual flings either.

So he's there at the counter, and they're all out of diet sodas and Nick mulls over what to do next; he'd only wanted the drink to pass the time. And then a couple of older guys pass him - older guys he doesn't like the look of - and he hears their muttered conversation and it freezes his entire being.

"You know that girl Jake's with? She gets it on _really_ easy."

"Seriously? What's her name again?"

"Stewart or something…"

Stewart? Jake? Nick thinks this is not a coincidence. Especially since he found out Miley was dating that self-obsessed movie star zombie slayer. He realizes two and two and speaks up joining their conversation.

"It's Miley," Nick adds assertively, crushing an empty soda can in his fists, and the two guys look at him as though he's been drinking something other than diet coke.

"Excuse me?" the first one asks, with attitude, as though Nick is beneath him and shouldn't be talking.

"Her name is _Miley_ Stewart. And for your sake, you guys better not be talking about the Miley I think you're talking about."

The second guy laughs, "Well, what are you going to do about it? That Miley Stewart's a fucking slut and you know it."

Suddenly a rollercoaster of emotions bursts through Nick and before he knows what he's doing he's lifted the second guy by the collar of his shirt and thrust him against the wall and has pinned him there.

"You take that back." Nick says through gritted teeth, "And then after that we're going to find Miss Stewart and you're going to apologize to her or there'll be hell to pay."

The second guy is paralyzed with fright. The first one can't seem to find it in himself to challenge Nick, yet he still somehow manages to speak. "Let him go man! Look, _you've_ seen those pictures she had on the Internet too! Every guy I know has! Jake probably doesn't even need to spike her drink to get it on with her. I'm sure she'll do that on her own or" -

It was the last straw. The guy doesn't finish his sentence. Nick with his free hand now throws the first guy onto the wall and the second guy he had in his grip slides to the floor like the life in him has been shaken out. And then Nick tells the first guy. "Talk! What do you mean Miley's drink has been spiked? Is Jake trying to take advantage of her?"

The guy is nervous with fright but he's embarrassed too and he's turned that emotion into anger now as he threatens Nick. "Dude, you just don't get it, do you? He doesn't need to do anything because Miley Stewart is an easy fuck!"

And then, even though he knows how wrong it is, and how upset his parents will be when they find out, Nick strikes the guy straight and walks off leaving both guys on the floor.

He walks onto the dance floor, narrowly escaping the cute blonde again who's still got her eye on him despite his negative signals, and finds Joe dancing with Stella, and while he wouldn't have done it on any other night, he tears his brother away from the-crush-he-won't-admit-he-has-a-crush-on and brings him off the dance floor.

"Come on man!" protests Joe in a whisper, not wanting to look bad in front of her.

And while Nick knows he's being selfish, he doesn't care. "Joe, this is the reason why Kevin installed webcam. 24/7 access to whoever you want, whenever you want. And I'm only gonna be a sec. Just tell me one thing - is Miley Stewart at _this_ party?"

Joe shrugs nonchalantly, "I don't know! Probably! I mean I _think_ I saw that _zombie_ guy here so if she's still dating him then… hey Nick! Where are you going?"

But Nick is already long gone and Joe is desperate to get back to his girl so he doesn't follow him. "That kid!" he mutters but Stella has already distracted him from whatever Joe was thinking.

Nick storms by the party area and bangs the door open of every room he passes. Occasionally, he'll bump into a make out session and his stomach will flip with embarrassment, but mostly the rooms are empty and his heart fears for Miley. It doesn't matter that they're not going out anymore. It doesn't matter that they hurt each other and it ended. What matters is that Nick knows she's still the most important thing to him ever and he's never going to let anyone take advantage of her. He's been linked to those photos and he feels horrible. He supposes she did take them for him; in fact, he might even have kept a few. But he's a shy guy and he'd rather not talk about it.

His heart pounding with fear, his mind bordering on insanity and his blood boiling with anger he storms through the hallway, desperate to find her, memories of the two of them come flooding back threatening to engulf him…

~.~

_Flashback_

Sandy Lucas is worried about her son. She'd always know he'd be a ladies' man but lately he'll become moody and oversensitive when anyone discusses his neighbor and girlfriend Miley. And he won't listen to anyone about her and the girl spells d-r-a-m-a. Nick didn't need that in his life right now. Sandy had to intervene. She wouldn't be his mother if she didn't.

"Nicholas? Sweetie? Can I come in?" she asks tentatively, standing at the door. He doesn't mind and she enters and sits over by a chair resembling a guitar amp by his bed. "Up for a little convo with your Mom?"

Nick shrugs, "Sure. What did you want to talk about?"

Sandy sighs, "Just don't get snappy at me… I wanted to talk about Miley."

"Mom!" Nick whines but she interrupts him.

"Look, just hear me out. I know you kids have been getting kinda friendly together and she's a great girl so don't get me wrong. Anyone would be so lucky to have that chance to be with her. Except-- maybe not you."

"Mom!" Nick whines for the second time, "For the last time, I'm _not_ going to break up with her!"

"Honey, you don't see yourself when you come home after being with her but I-- _I_ see you. We all see you. You're all tense and tied up in tenterhooks and everyone else in the family has to walk on eggshells around you. And more importantly than anything, it isn't good for your health and you know how your blood count gets…"

"Hey that's not true! That has nothing to do with my relationship with Miley! She's the best thing to ever happen to me. In fact I think…" He pauses right there, sure he might upset his Mom, but then continues anyway, determined to have it out in the open, "Look, I really appreciate you looking out for me and all, I really do, but I think I may be, in love with her."

And as he ushers the 'L' word, Sandy is sure he's just infatuated and obsessed but knows that she's lost the battle. For now. Nick has such a high level of maturity for his age that sometimes she forgets that he's still a kid. "Okay…" she sighs, "You know what? Dinner'll be ready soon and I expect you down there when I call, Nick."

She kisses him on the forehead in all motherly fashion and leaves the room, ready to report the dreaded announcement of the 'L' word to Nick's manager and father, Tom Lucas.

As soon as the door is closed, Nick rushes over to the window and opens it so that his Angel from Tennessee is in bound to his room.

"Geez Nicky, what took so long tonight?" she asks.

"Mom alert," he mutters, "Sorry, she's on my case again…"

"About what?" Miley asks confused, and Nick realizes he hasn't told her yet. He lets out a huge sigh, not sure what exactly he is going to tell her.

"She wants us to break up."

The six little words have such a huge meaning behind them and Miley is stung. "Oh. Oh okay." She pauses, tries to make sense of it all - but can't. "I thought your mother liked me?"

"She does." Nick defended, "She thinks you're great. She just doesn't want anything to distract me from my music. Even if the distraction is _very_ welcoming…"

She knows he's talking about her and thoughts like these still pink Miley's cheeks, "So what does this mean? Do you have to sneak out to see me or whatever?"

Nick shakes his head, "No, of course not. And if it ever came to that, I would do it in a heartbeat… but I don't think it'll reach that stage. Besides I think my mother is positive I'm never going to leave you."

"Really?" Miley smiles, a smile that lights up the whole room, "Why is that?"

"Because," Nick says, and he places his arms around her waist, "I told her that I love you."

Miley's heart is beating so fast; it feels like it's going to burst right out of her chest. It isn't the first time he's said it, but it's the first time he's admitted to telling other people and that is a huge deal to her, for many reasons. "Oh Nicky, you know I-- I love you too."

She closes her eyes and he reaches in to kiss her and then Sandy is calling him for dinner and they break apart too soon.

"So I guess I should go, huh?" Miley asks quietly.

"No." Nick shakes his head, "Dad said it himself. You're part of this family, Miley. You have as much of a right to be at dinner as I do."

And he takes her hand and they reach for the nearest fire pole to swing into the dining room side by side.

_End flashback_

~.~

Nick storms through the hall, desperate now. He hasn't found Jake yet and there's no sign of Miley. Maybe Joe was wrong. Maybe he hadn't seen Jake. Or maybe the two of them aren't here. Maybe they're somewhere else and Miley is being used right now…

He feels like he failed her and he doesn't owe her anything. He needs to sit down. He needs to just think, to just clear his head…

He walks into the last room at the end of the hallway, not looking for a fight, just looking to clear his head and he bumps into another make out session.

Except this time he does find Jake and he's all over Miley like some kind of animal. He has no respect for her and the clearly half consumed drink on the bedside table confirms what those guys from before were saying. Nick doesn't care. He loses control.

He storms in there and rips Jake off Miley in one clear movement. "How dare you fucking touch her!!" he yells and the two of them meet the ground and start wrestling it out. It's Nick's first real vengeful fight and he lets go of everything… how much he hates Jake, how unworthy he is of Miley.

"Stop it!!" Miley screams helplessly, "Just stop it!! He hasn't done anything wrong! Nick, just stop!!"

And the fact that she yells so boldly, when he is trying to do the right thing, makes him stop. And he cannot believe she would defend Jake after what he just tried to do to her.

"Miley, your drink, it's been spiked! Jake's trying to take advantage of you!"

And Miley just stares at him as though that's the most pathetic thing she's ever heard. "Nick!" she says and shakes her head. "I've been with Jake for a long time, and what we're doing now is _my_ choice. He'd never try to take advantage of me. And just for your information, I haven't drunk anything since I got here! _All_ night! I appreciate you coming to my defense but- you've got this all wrong and-- you owe him an apology!"

Every word is like a blow and watching Miley tend to Jake hurts even worse. Nick is so stunned he can't even bring himself to say sorry and decides to storm out instead. He hears Miley calling his name but he doesn't turn back. His lip is bleeding and his eye is sore and he's sure Jake has it a lot worse but Nick's got it worse on the inside and all he wants to do is get the hell out of there.

A/N: When I first wrote Before the Storm mid last year, I never intended to publish it on fanfiction. It is something that I've been writing for a very long time. Each chapter is roughly between 2300 and 2400 words and I'm currently writing chapter ten at the moment. I would really appreciate any feedback on the story. I'm still sketchy as to whether I should have released this but I can always hit the delete button if it doesn't work out for me. Thank you for taking the time to read this :) I promise to update weekly, as like I said, I'm already ten chapters in. Looking forward to here your thoughts and criticism. xoxo smileyniley487


	2. Chapter 2: Call

_Summary: Miley Stewart has been signed on to write a duet with her ex-boyfriend Nick Lucas and this puts a strain on her relationship with Jake. Can Nick manage to find a way to get things back between them to the way they were before the storm? Rated T for language and mature themes. __**xxNileyxx **__Crossover: Hannah Montana & JONAS._

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit work of fan fiction written by smileyniley487 :) I do not own and/or associate or liaise with Disney, Miley Cyrus, JONAS or any of the JoBros or associated third parties or any parties but I do love them and their work dearly.

**A/N: Thanks to Izy160, nileyfan#1 and Melody90, for reviewing Chapter One! :) It truly means the world to me that you would take the time to read my story let alone leave a comment. Izy I checked out your favorites and you've seriously got some really good recommendations! Nileyfan, as promised, I've removed the status from hiatus to in-progress, enjoy WEEKLY updates & Melody I'm so glad you liked it, I really hope I deliver. **

**I started writing this story the week after Nick and Miley performed in Texas so for people to like it means more than words can say! Enjoy and keep letting me know what you think =)**

Chapter Two - Call 

Nick wakes up the next day and he is still in a daze while he mulls over the events of the previous night. He hasn't slept well at all. He's sporting a fat lip and there's a small bruise under his eye where Jake managed to fight back. He knows there'll be hell to pay when his mother sees him but he's got bigger fish to fry.

He's not over what went down at the party and he's found himself wishing more than once that Jake was still in pain. He also found that his dreams had been of him and make out sessions and a certain girl with whom he was making out with. His dreams had been of him doing those things with Miley and he - above all else - especially did not want to be thinking of her.

He shouldn't have gone to protect her. He should no longer care at all. Except he did. And that was driving him crazy.

It was also driving Joe crazy.

"I have _one_ solution for you man," Joe explained after hearing for the umpteenth time that his brother was actually in fact _over_ Miley, "Take it or leave it."

Nick sighed, "Fine, I'll hear you out."

But what Joe had to say was not at all what Nick expected, or wanted, to hear from him. "Ask her out man! You're clearly still in love with her. The sooner you guys get over yourselves and start dating again the world will be a happier place."

Nick rolled his eyes, "That's the stupidest thing you've ever said to me! I'm trying to forget about her and you're not helping!"

"Well, look how much '_trying to forget her_' is working! So do the reverse. And eventually you'll grow out of this stupid obsession you have worrying about her constantly and then everyone can move on with their lives."

Nick didn't reply. Joe's face broadened into a smile, "See? You can see how right I am now, can't you? I know you still have her number. Just call her."

~.~

Nick barricades himself in his room; he's trying to avoid Sandy and Joe is backing him up, feeding lies to his mother that Nick isn't feeling well. She wants to come in and mother him but Joe has played the part of the elder brother and convinced her that Nick is asleep and needs his rest.

But truth of the matter is Nick is not asleep. He is paralyzed. He is staring at his phone, at the contact that reads _S-MiLey_ and is debating the pros and cons in his head of calling her. He does _want _to call: he also wants to be the one to hold her hand and smother her with kisses in that special, yet _respectful_, un-animalistic way that he knows only he can do. He wants to hold her and stare into her gorgeous eyes and whisper just how much he still loves her. He really does.

But unlike before, he now understands what his mother said when she told him Miley meant drama, and he understands that there will be more fights that he won't be ready or in the mood for, and he understands that she will be away from him at months at a time on the opposite end of the country, and he'll get paranoid because she's beautiful and she can have anyone she wants. He'll start worrying that he's not good enough for her and who she's spending her alone time with. And more than half the world has already seen her, in a way that was only meant for him, which means she will be looked at differently by just about everyone… in the way that there will be more guys who'll also wrongly assume how "easy" she might be and take advantage of that.

The only reason Miley had been successful with her _Breakaway_* album was because she had used Hannah Montana to release it. And yet the kicker was Nick knows _7 Things You Do*_ was written about him; in fact she had written that Hannah had dedicated her _whole_ album to her 'Prince Charming' and there was more than one song on there that had crushed him. _Say Goodbye*_ and _At The Bottom of the Ocean* _had been particularly painful; he remembers the conversation they had that she refers to in _Say Goodbye_*, which struck a blow at him when he heard it and made him really wish he could be a _Little Fly On the Wall*_ too. But wanting to be a 'little fly' didn't mean he didn't trust Miley. It was the guys who eyed her when he wasn't around - and he knew they were out there even if she laughed at him when he tried to explain that to her. Yes, maybe he should have made her more confident that he trusted her. Being away from each other for so long made trust a big issue. Long distance relationships were not easy, even if they both were working in the same industry. They were still human and the doubt still existed.

But as Nick Lucas stared at his phone, he realized his dilemma: the more he wanted to, the more he realized how he could never ring her. She seemed to be getting on with her life and enjoying it too. Who was he to deny her happiness? If he truly wanted to protect her, wouldn't leaving her happy be the best thing to do-- by protecting her from _them_?

Nick takes so much time thinking about the situation he is in that he doesn't notice an impatient elder brother join him in his room.

"Why haven't you called her yet?" Joe asks.

Nick raises an eyebrow suspiciously, "What makes you so sure I haven't already talked to her?"

"Because," Joe smiles, "You're Nick and you wouldn't be Nick if you _had_ called her... you know what? You are _really_ lucky I sound like you."

"Wait - what does that mean? What are you doing?!"

Nick is disjointed and worried but Joe is too fast for him as he grabs Nick's phone. "If you won't call Miley, then _I_ will!"

The next three seconds feel like they are the longest of Nick's life. He is angry and emotional and excited and fearful and nervous and confident all at the same time. And then Joe looks at Nick's phone, sighs and hangs up without a word.

"Well?" Nick demanded, "What happened? Why'd you give up like that?"

Joe raised an eyebrow at the irony of it all, "Well, I was one step ahead of you, that's for sure. But you can relax now bro. It seems to be that Miley Stewart no longer uses that number. It's disconnected. I'm sorry."

Nick's whole demeanor shrinks and he's surprised. He didn't expect this disappointed of a reaction. He shrugs. "Nah it's cool. I can still catch up with her on IM or MySpace or something…"

Joe places a comforting arm on Nick's shoulder, "Well I'll er… just let you get back to sleep, right?"

Nick doesn't reply and Joe takes that as his cue to leave the room silent and unnoticed. Nick is left to his thoughts. Miley changed her number – but she hadn't let him know. He supposes she changed it right after their breakup. But he wouldn't have known anyway. He hadn't tried to call her till now.

He relaxes a little, there has been a long time since they last spoke over the phone and it could be any number of reasons that her old number no longer existed. She was always so paranoid, yet rightfully so, with hackers tracing her down that she would have been crazy not to regularly change her details.

He used to stay up soooo late talking to her, having memorized her number off by heart. It had felt like they could talk about anything and everything and all the time in the world wasn't enough for them. What had gone wrong? Were they really just too different?

As Nick's phone begins to vibrate, he jumps having not expected it to ring. He doesn't recognize the number and remembers thinking how funny it would be if it were Miley calling him.

But as he picks up the phone and recognizes her southern accent greeting him he doesn't think the situation is funny at all.

"Hello Nicholas," she jokes and there is laughter in her voice but no amusement.

"Miley," Nick answers, switching to serious mode, and feeling nothing but. There's a million things racing through his brain, a million questions he wants answered, but Miley is so damn confident and she speaks before he can think up the perfect thing to say to her.

"So Hollywood Records wants Hannah working with you on your next CD," she tells him, as straight to the point as she can possibly be; there is no mention of the previous night, but he is all too certain she will bring it up. "The decision came along the lines of 'unprecedented fan demand' on the idea of a duet between the two of us. Allows us time to show them we're really good friends and all the blah that comes with it."

"I see," commented Nick, serious mode still on, but inside his heart was racing at the idea. Who ever thought that a miracle would come via his record label? He spoke fast, "Would you like to discuss this in person? Over lunch? I mean if it's us they want to see together, well then what a way to give them something to talk about - right?"

There was a long pause, what Frankie always likes to smartly refer to as 'a dramatic pause.' It must have only been seconds but for the second time consecutively, Nick fell time rapidly slowing down where it concerned him. It felt like minutes.

"Nicholas," Miley whispered and he was surprised to notice a serious tone in _her_ voice, that and the fact that she rarely, like his mother, ever called him Nicholas. "If I didn't know any better - I'd say you were asking me out."

Nick didn't waste a moment's hesitation, "I can see how it may have appeared that way but this is strictly business. So if you prefer we can do this over the phone if it's easier for you?"

He was putting it out there without making it so damn obvious about how crushed he'd be if she said no. The mere thought of being made to work with her was the perfect solution in his quest to get over her. For starters, he'd be forced to spend time with her and then he'd realize why it was they were never meant to be. Of course, there was always the chance that because he still liked her, the whole thing could blow up in his face and he'd end up wanting to be dating her again. But the more he thought about _that_ idea, the more he found himself not caring. Jake or no Jake, it was Nick alone who was Miley's Prince Charming.

"Hmm," Miley thought aloud into the phone. "Lunch eh? That should be fine. I'll be in New York in a couple of days. We can meet up then."

"I'll pick you up from the airport," Nick informed formally, but inside he felt like a kid at Christmas, "Again I'm just-- thinking of expanding the buzz, y'know?"

"Agreed," Miley said, and this time it felt like she had taken no time to answer him, "I'll see you then."

Miley hangs ups the phone and sits in her room thinking how hard it will be explaining to Jake without hurting his feelings that she needs to go see Nick. She still isn't sure why Nick did what he did. Did he still have feelings for her? Or did he really just not like guys taking advantage of girls that he had to take a stand? Was he being jealous and acting out? Or did a tiny part of him still care about her the way she had always hoped he would?

She hated herself for that. For hoping that he still cared. And she felt it was wrong to Jake to be thinking like that. So she pushed it all out of mind. There was no way that Nick still cared about her - not in that way at least - and if he did she was gonna find out and put him straight. She was with Jake now, she had moved on and that she was determined she was certain of.

But the one thing Miley Stewart wasn't certain of, as she struggled to get to sleep, was that if everything was supposed to be okay now, why did it suddenly feel like there was a storm coming on?

"I heard you spoke to the infamous Miley Stewart," Kevin teased joining his younger brother in his room. "Everything okay, man? I know something's up when Joe get's that goofy grin on his face."

Nick nodded, "I know the grin you're speaking of. But, in terms of Miley, there's nothing going on, so to speak, I'll just be working with her soon-- for our album of course."

Kevin understood, but being the older brother he was, he clearly wasn't buying it, "Are you sure there's no thunder in the horizon that will blow up that chance?"

"Maybe…" answered Nick, pen in hand, "But I was hoping we could get past that, to the way things were before… Oh my God! Kevin, you said _thunder_!! - You HAVE to go - you just gave me the best IDEA!"

Kevin didn't need telling twice when it came to Nick and a pen. He left the room swiftly, glad that he had helped, even if he wasn't exactly sure what he did. He wasn't so sure of Nick and Miley working together, but Kevin knew all too well that even if she was a wild kid; she was Nick's wild kid for sure.

**~.~**

NOTE: **Wherever I've placed an asterisk(*) near a song title, it's because I've changed the real name of the song as this is a work of fiction and the real song titles are most likely copyrighted to Miley Cyrus. So, yes, I do realize her album is actually called 'Breakout;' incidentally also **_**one**_** of my favorite songs on the album. (Oh, who am I kidding? I LOVE the ENTIRE album ;) Anyway, to sum it all up: real song titles changed for obvious reasons :)**

**p.s. I really love you guys! Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3: New York

_Summary: Miley Stewart has been signed on to write a duet with her ex-boyfriend Nick Lucas and this puts a strain on her relationship with Jake. Can Nick manage to find a way to get things back between them to the way they were before the storm? Rated T for language and mature themes. __**xxNileyxx **__Crossover: Hannah Montana & JONAS._

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit work of fan fiction written by smileyniley487 :) I do not own and/or associate or liaise with Disney, Miley Cyrus, JONAS or any of the JoBros or associated third parties or any parties but I do love them and their work dearly.

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay, so I saw pictures of Selena and Nick hanging out and looking so sweet and adorable together it made me lose all inspiration for Niley and as a result **_**All Part of the Act**_ **is on an indefinite hiatus. I'm sorry, I just can't write Niley when there is so much Nelena in the air. But I remembered I've still got heaps of **_**Before the Storm**_ **on my computer that hasn't been uploaded yet so I thought I'd update this. Also, am working on a new story so look out for it. xoxo smileyniley487**

* * *

Chapter Three - New York

Miley had been thinking about Jake a lot lately and how he'd handle the news that when she went to New York, she'd be having lunch with her ex-boyfriend, the guy who also recently beat up Jake for making out with her at a party. She also couldn't help but think that the event of the night was her fault. She'd thought she could handle being with her boyfriend in public but she hadn't expected the Lucas Brothers to show up - they never attended anything they got invited to--(and they were invited to _everything_).

Nick's intentions that evening, sweet as they were, were wrong, and she knew Jake was in no mind to ever forgive him. Jake was convinced that Nick was in love with Miley for the simple reason that she was now unavailable and he warned Miley against Nick. Jake had this whole theory regarding Nick that included the phrase, 'If I can't have her no one can,' which he was using as Nick's motive. In fact, he also didn't want Miley anywhere near Nick at all and he had mentioned that several times.

To make things even harder, like life was purposely pointing a giant neon 'LOL' sign towards her, it wasn't like Miley could simply _hide_ the fact that she was going to be having lunch with the famous Nick Lucas. Now that everyone knew she was Jake Ryan's girlfriend, hanging out with a JONAS band member meant she was sure that her and Nick's every move would be photographed ten million times over, enough times so that when you flicked through the photos, the whole thing would seem to play like a video. It was hard enough covering up Nick Lucas' and Jake Ryan's fight—thank God that some paparazzi still took bribes if you paid them well enough.

So, bottom line - Miley _really_ didn't know how she was going to break the news to Jake. And then she had to worry about if Nick had beat him up because he still loved her-- but he had sounded so damn serious on the phone when she had talked to him and had her convinced that NYC was going to all be about business. (Even if the tabloids were wishing it otherwise)-- And boy, were the tabloids going to make a big deal out of this.

She could see the headlines now: 'Miley Stewart Slays Jake Ryan's Heart'--even if she tried to tell them she wasn't cheating on Jake. The media twisted everything. And she couldn't tell them the truth either, that she was in fact in New York to write a song with Nick because that would blow her Hannah cover. She had invented Hannah for a reason: to specifically keep her out of the spotlight. But now, plain old Miley Stewart was at risk of making the news… which was why she was going as Hannah to see Nick and save Miley from the attention.

Miley and Jake met up for dinner, the night before she was meant to leave to New York. They hadn't gone anywhere fancy but it was still a very nice evening and she was so scared it was going to be ruined because of what she had to tell him. She was nervous and she'd always been rather confident her whole life. Jake noticed the change in her immediately.

"What's wrong Miles?" he asked her, "You're not acting like yourself at all tonight. Something you wanna talk about?"

He had stopped eating so that his whole attention was focused on her and she looked down at her own untouched plate as she spoke.

"So, as you know, I'll be away in New York for a couple of days, strictly business. My label's got a new idea for a song and they want me to start working on it."

Jake nodded, "Yeah, that's why I'm really grateful we have tonight to spend together. I'm gonna miss you being on the other side of the States. But why the long face Miles? I thought you loved New York? And writing anything always gets you so excited but you seemed really bummed out."

Miley sighed. It was now or never. "Well, I found out something about the song I have to work on. It's gonna be a duet and it's meant for someone else's new CD that'll be coming out soon."

Jake shrugged his head, "Typical. Some new up and coming star they wanna promote so give them a duet with Hannah Montana and then everyone will know who they are. I hate the way your label uses you to make other people famous."

He'd gone back to his plate and he wasn't looking at Miley anymore so she found it in herself to tell him the truth. It was so much easier when they weren't staring at you in the eye. "That's just the thing Jake… these stars are already famous. They don't need me for that. The label is trying to generate some friendly rumors and a little publicity. They want me to do the duet with Nick Lucas from JONAS."

Jake's reaction was instant. He immediately stopped eating and stared at her as though she was playing a practical joke on him. "Wait - this the _same_ kid from JONAS who attacked me the other day?"

Miley nodded feeling bad; Jake's reaction was just how she feared. "The _same_ JONAS kid who thought he was too good for you and broke your heart?"

Again, Miley nodded. Jake resorted to laughter, "The _same_ JONAS kid who's now apparently still in love with you?"

This time she paused, thinking best how to answer the question; she decided explaining Nick's intentions might work. "Jake - he's not in love with me. He just lost it over some stupid rumors he heard at the party. Wouldn't you bash up some guy you thought was trying to take advantage of me?"

"You know I would," and for a while Miley almost thought everything had gone okay but Jake couldn't hold it in, "But you want to know what else I think?" he said, "I actually can't believe you're defending him. All I wanted was to share a nice quiet evening with my girlfriend before she flies away, and now she tells me she's running off to New York to spend time with her ex!"

Miley was shocked, "Jake! You're taking this the wrong way! I'm not running off to see him. And besides, I'll be disguised as Hannah the whole time! The label just wants us working together on _one_ song. Nick's only got business on his mind when it comes to this. He's really serious that way. Any discussion he'll have with me from here on end will be nothing but professional. I spoke to him just yesterday. C'mon Jake, don't you trust me?"

She knew she was throwing the guilt card in there with the dreaded 'T' word; a word that so often rose up in her previous relationship, but the card seemed to be working. Jake sighed. "I'm sorry, Miley. But I don't want you anywhere around Nick Lucas. Tell the label you're not interested."

"I can't do that," Miley whispered, "And who I spend my time around is really not your decision, Jake. I know you love me. I couldn't be more grateful and blessed to have you as my boyfriend right now. But if you want this relationship to work, you're gonna have to accept the fact that I've got a history with Nick Lucas. A history, the whole world knows about, and at times wants to exploit and exaggerate. It's as if they want to create something that isn't there, by twisting everything else around it, to make it all out to be bigger than it really is-- and for what? A couple of dollars and a good story! But at the end of the day, _I_ know who I'm with. And kill me for throwing the guilt card in again, but if you love me, you're gonna have to trust me. Nick never did and look at where we ended up."

There was a long pause. Jake sighed and taking out his wallet, he placed a fifty and a couple of tens on the table. "That should cover the tip," he said, and then he kissed her very gently on her forehead whispering, "Have fun in New York, Miley. Don't buy too many shoes."

She watched him walk away; her heart wouldn't let her call out after him. He was upset but he was letting her go and she knew what a big move on his part that was. She stared at her uneaten plate for several minutes, drank a sip of water as tears threatened to fall, and then got up and left.

~.~

Nick hadn't been lying when he said he'd pick up Miley from the airport. He had dressed extremely casual with a grey sweater reading _New York Soul_-- and then he saw Miley get off the plane looking extremely perfect, and he felt so normal and boring in contrast to her. She was parading a Louis Vitton bag and wearing an expensive designer sparkly grey blouse and blue skinny leg jeans with enormous heels. She had come as Hannah Montana with her huge glasses and was wearing her too-perfect blonde wig, and her face was ever-so-lightly caked in makeup. To top off everything, it was sunny in New York and the sunlight was reflecting off her hair. He used to call her his Tennessee Angel and the fact that she was glowing now was like a reminder pointing one hell of a neon giant 'LOL' sign towards him.

She noticed him at once and gave him a half smile and then took out her hand for him to shake. He stared at it for one long moment and then realized what an opportunity this was…

"I don't do handshakes, I do hugs." She had used the very same phrase the first time they had met.

Miley and Nick embraced very quickly; the hug had only lasted a second and he knew she was giving him the 'look' that meant there was something she was gonna tell him that he wasn't necessarily gonna like.

She sighed, "Well, lucky thing there doesn't seem to be as many paparazzi inside as there is outside so this might be my only chance to tell you… Jake is really crushed about what went down the other night so he's not comfortable with me working with you. I know why you came to my defense and I really appreciate that but if there's something more going on you need to tell me now."

Nick just looked at her as if he couldn't understand if she was being serious or not. She was putting him on the spot. How could she expect him to answer a question like that on the spot? There was only one option…

"_Hannah_, as far as I'm concerned you're single. Miley, on the other hand is the one dating Jake Ryan. We're here for business and lunch. No secret agendas."

…he had to lie.

She shrugged it off but didn't say any more. They got into his car and instantly cameras and camera phones started flashing. Miley even caught the media's frenzied questions.

"Hannah, how does it feel going out with a member of JONAS?"

"When will you publicly be announcing your relationship?"

"Nick, any thoughts of popping the question?"

As much as she wished to yell at them to all SHUT UP, ridiculous as the questions were, she instead sat casually besides Nick in his Fender and closed her eyes smiling as she thought _This'll all be over in a couple of days…_

Nick chanced a glance at Miley when he knew from the corner of his eye that she had closed hers. She was smiling and he longed to know what she was thinking about. He had counted on the media to make such a big deal about this and he knew all his future interviews after today would not be about his music or his writing just Miley, Miley, Miley…

"I've missed New York," Miley whispered and there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah, New York's great," agreed Nick, and she smiled at him, noting the similar tone of sarcasm that he held in his voice. "I hope you don't mind," he continued, "But I've already ordered us lunch inside a hotel."

Miley raised an eyebrow, "Not that I have a problem with what you're wearing now but aren't you a little underdressed for a hotel restaurant?"

Nick shook his head, "Not if I'm having them send it up to my room."

She smirked at him, "Tell me again how you haven't planned any secret agendas?" Miley asked rhetorically.

They reached the hotel and Nick parked around the other side and as soon as they got out the mass of flash photography began and reporters began yelling questions again but they ignored them all.

Nick was desperate to take Miley's hand and run into the hotel with her but he knew they would purposely interpret it the wrong way so he instead pulled his hat down harder and turned on his serious mode (which wasn't so hard to do when you're Nick Lucas) and casually led Miley inside.

"That wasn't so hard," Miley joked as they reached Nick's room.

He smiled, opened the door and the smell of pizza greeted them as Kevin and Joe were in there munching on pepperoni slices and practicing guitar.

"Joe!" hissed Nick, "That pizza was meant for me and Hannah! I had it especially sent up for us!"

"That's okay," Miley said, "I'm not that hungry and there's still a few slices left anyway."

"Here let me get you one," offered Kevin. He reached over to hand Miley the food and Nick saw what was coming all too fast. Miley went to reach out and take it, Kevin swerved and the saucy food, pepperoni and all, fell all over Miley's new and expensive grey blouse.

* * *

**A/N: please review! And please check out my new story, I'm really into it ;) xoxo smileyniley487**


	4. Chapter 4: Writing & Memories

_Summary: Miley Stewart has been signed on to write a duet with her ex-boyfriend Nick Lucas and this puts a strain on her relationship with Jake. Can Nick manage to find a way to get things back between them to the way they were before the storm? Rated T for language and mature themes. __**xxNileyxx **__Crossover: Hannah Montana & JONAS._

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit work of fan fiction written by smileyniley487 :) I do not own and/or associate or liaise with Disney, Miley Cyrus, JONAS or any of the JoBros or associated third parties or any parties but I do love them and their work dearly.

**A/N: To Photochik: Thank you so much for reviewing! And I'll admit, I am a little sad to see so little reviews for this story but you know what? Even hearing from one person, like I have from you, makes it all worth it. So thank you :) I dedicate this chapter to you in the hopes that other people might share your views about feedback. You truly made my day **

**For those interested… this was probably one of my more favorite chapters to write. I love Niley fluff!**

**xoxo smileyniley487**

Chapter Four - Writing & Memories

After Kevin and Joe had left, (and they had no choice, Nick had been furious), Miley had just sat there on Nick's bed staring down at her stained designer top. It was covered in pizza sauce. Nick felt really bad.

"Well, what a great start to the day!" Miley suggested; the cynicism was typically evident in her voice.

"Look," Nick said, "I'm really sorry about the top. I'll replace it I promise."

"I know you feel bad Nicky, but you can't expect me to go out looking like this, especially when I'm Hannah."

"Care to borrow one of my shirts?" Nick suggested, "That'll send them into a real frenzy down there."

Miley raised an eyebrow, "Thanks but I'll um… I'll just go for a shower, wait for my suitcase to get up here. That shouldn't be too much longer now."

Nick nodded, "Sure thing. I'll just be out here."

"Okay," she winked. "Oh and Nick?" she added, heading for the bathroom, "No peeking."

_Flashback_

Each lying with their back on the soft grass of Tennessee, two parallel beings, with their eyes closed and hands intertwined, were breathing in the fresh American air. The atmosphere was sweet and every second of the moment was as serene as the daybreak sky.

"Nick?" whispered Miley, "Can you feel that?"

The ground beneath him was gently shaking. But it wasn't an uncomfortable vibration. It sounded like…

"Bluejeans!" Miley exclaimed.

Sure enough, as they both moved into a seated position with hands still linked together, Miley's beautiful white horse was galloping gracefully towards them.

"Wanna ride?" Miley asked turning to Nick but, before he could agree, she was already up on her horse, ready to set off.

As they took to the wind with Bluejeans, Nick couldn't believe how wonderful it felt to be riding with Miley. The way she took charge, the way her hair flew behind her, the way the sun glowed on her skin - she was just so radiant. He had his arms around her and held her tightly, resting his head against her shoulder as she whispered slowly to him, "Keep hanging tightly there, my lil' cowboy…"

_End Flashback._

When Miley got out of the shower she was wearing nothing but a towel.

"Your-- suitcaseishere," Nick informed almost in one breath and then turned around before she could see him go red in the face.

The next thing he knew the towel she was wearing had landed straight over his head. It was warm and wet and smelled like Miley.

"Don't you dare move that towel, Nicholas." Miley teased. Nick wouldn't have dared even if he wanted to.

Miley had always been really fast at changing her clothes - a skill she had acquired as Hannah Montana. Nick, however, had seemingly forgotten this information; he jumped when she sat as close as she possibly could to him, asking if there were any pizza left. He quickly removed the towel, preventing her getting to it first; he didn't want her to have removed it and caught him sniffing it like a helpless puppy.

"You look nice," mumbled Nick handing her some food.

"This outfit? Please! This is my Quick-Before-Nick-Sees-You-Naked Outfit. If I really wanted to look nice I would have worn my Jake-Please-Forgive-Me Outfit."

She realized what she had said almost as soon as she said it. "I'm sorry," she apologized immediately, "I shouldn't have brought him up. I know how much you hate him."

Nick sighed, "I don't _hate _him, Miley. I just the hate the thought of anyone treating you badly."

She shook her head, "Why is that?"

Was this an Exclusive Miley Trick Question? He didn't know. He answered honestly, "Well, we're friends right?"

She smiled sarcastically, "You see this is what I've never understood about you. You carry on all day holding this serious front, quoting 'business, business, business' to me, and then you say we're friends? How can we be friends, Nick?"

Nick was confused. What had he said wrong? "You know, I don't know what went down with you and Jake, Miley, before you came here to New York but I'm gonna give you that one. Truth is, I can be serious. It's a famous trait of mine. You always knew that about me. But am I gonna ask you this-- if we're not friends then what are we?"

"Colleagues," Miley answered, "_Business_ Colleagues."

"Fine!" Nick said, giving up. "Then let's get to it then, shall we? But first-- do you need to put your Let's-Write-A-Song Outfit on?"

He was being serious but Miley resorted to throwing a pillow at him.

"So are we making this song up on our own or are we strictly following the record rules here too?" she asked.

"Well actually ever the intelligent writer that I am, I've sorta come up with something. Do you wanna hear it? Once you do, you'll realize why I can't write this song on my own."

Miley smiled, "You've always had that flair with writing haven't you? Go ahead Nicky."

He had his guitar ready and he gently began strumming a tune. The way she stared at him-- like he was something important. It wasn't an infatuation, it was genuine. He had never quite gotten over that feeling. But he wasn't going to admit it now. He mentally sighed inside and began:

"And I don't want to lose her… Don't wanna let her go… Flooded with all this pain, knowing that I'll never hold her, like I did, before the storm."

He had finished but Miley hadn't said anything, "That's all I got so far." Nick admitted.

Miley sighed, "Actually I really liked that. I liked the metaphors associated with storm. The word 'storm' is a perfect adjective for a breakup. And if you're using the storm metaphor, there are heaps of words I could use like, rain, thunder, lightning… All good connotations associated with the hardest parts of breakup."

She grabbed out a sparkly _Hannah Montana_ pen and her butterfly notepad and began writing and re-writing at a furious pace. Nick had never seen Miley so serious. And the only times she had ever talked like that was when she was in writing mode…

_Flashback_

"Nick!!" Sandy called out, "Pick up the phone from upstairs!!"

Nick suddenly paused his XBox game, knowing exactly who it was as he glanced at the number, and reached out for the phone, _"Hello Beautiful, how's it going…?" _He sang into the phone.

"_It's wonderful, in California. I've been missing you… it's true.'" _Miley replied, singing along._ "_Guess who's written another song about you?"

Nick smiled; hearing her voice always gave him butterflies, "Who?" he joked, "Couldn't possibly be '_my girl, my girl', _Miley_?_ Could it?"

He heard her giggle on the other end of the line, "You wanna hear it?"

"Go ahead, Miley…"

There was a moment's pause while she put down the phone and got out her guitar. Then she picked it up again, "Okay I'm ready… just give me a sec to tune…" He heard her strum her guitar and then her sweet voice began singing. "_Ask me once and I'll come, I'll come running. And when I can't be with you, dream me near, keep me in your heart, and I'll appear. All you gotta do is turn around, close your eyes, look inside. I'm right here_."**

_End Flashback_

"Nick?" Miley asked, awakening him from his memory, "I think I've got something - you ready?"

"Sure," Nick said, "from the top." Then, handling his guitar and picking up from where he left, he started singing again, "And I don't want to lose her, don't want to let her go…"

"Standing out in the rain, need to know if it's over… cos I would leave you alone."

"Flooded with all this pain, knowing that I'll never hold her."

"Like I did before the storm…"

They both finished singing, smiling awkwardly when they were done. "Wow, Miley," Nick added, "What you just wrote that was great. It fit in so perfectly with the rest of the lyrics."

The words had come so easily to Miley. Truth be told, the lyric was what she had been thinking the whole journey here to New York. All he'd have to tell her was that it was over, definitely over, and she would leave him alone - and in the meantime it felt like she really was standing out in the rain.

"You know, Nick," whispered Miley looking down at the floor now, heart beating fast, "This isn't what I wanted. I mean I never thought it'd come this far."

Nick was going over his chords, paying no attention to the vulnerability of her words, "How so?"

Miley sighed. Was she going in too deep? Was she making herself _too_ vulnerable? Hadn't they already discussed before they started writing that they were business colleagues and nothing more?

_Flashback_

"Miley, what's wrong?" Nick asked.

Of course he'd be the first to find her. He'd be the only one she'd let herself get close to when she was feeling faint and vulnerable. Nick wouldn't over exaggerate or over analyze anything. He'd simply understand.

"I don't feel so good," Miley admitted throwing her arms around him. Nick gently stroked her hair. They were getting ready for another _Hannah_ _Montana_ concert. The Lucas Brother's were Miley Stewart's guest stars. Miley had blown crowds away with every single performance she had done so far. And now, just as they were getting ready to go on again, Miley's head space wasn't with it.

"Miley," Nick whispered, "You can do this. You know all those people out there? All those hundreds and thousands of people out there? They all believe in you. And there's a guy stroking your hair right now who believes in you too. You can do it Miley, I know you can. Besides…" he added, "I brought you chocolate."

"Nick!" Miley smiled, "You know that gives my face pimples!"

"Miley," said Nick, "If you don't eat this chocolate- I will!"

Miley punched him lightly. She knew he was joking so she took the chocolate and generously ate some.

He glided her over to a chair and they sat down. "Don't get too overwhelmed now, Miley. They absolutely love you. Or, at the very least, love Hannah Montana. Even with all the pimples you'll have on her face tomorrow!"

Miley hit him with a cushion this time but missed. So she got up and started chasing him around her room. "Nick Lucas, I could kill you!" she laughed.

He caught her before she could hit him more playfully, "Wait!" he paused, "What's that I hear? Is that Miley Stewart laughing? I think Nick's just earned himself an award seeing how he's just made Miley feel better and all."

She sighed and then, as she hadn't yet put on her extravagantly high _Hannah _heels yet, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Nick gently on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you."

_End Flashback_

"Miley?" Nick asked; it was his turn to bring her back from a memory, "You were saying?"

"I was just thinking back to the start, how things were then. We just… lost it all you know?"

Nick was stunned. He wasn't sure what Miley was playing at. One minute she was determined to make it clear that she didn't want anything from him and now she was just being too damn confusing. "Miley… I--" Nick began but she cut him off.

"Yeah I know! That's great material for the song right? Just give me a sec and I'll write it all down so we can add it to our lyrics."

The sparkling _Hannah Montana_ pen flew across her butterfly notepad again. _There goes Miley_. Nick thought. The second she came to opening up she'd retreat like a bunny hiding from a gunshot.

"Are you happy with him, Miley?"

He hadn't known why he said it. Truthfully, he had meant to say it in his head but it had just come out of him. She narrowed her eyebrows, "Where did that come from?"

Nick shrugged, "I don't know… you were saying that this isn't what you wanted? Something about how we lost it? What were _you_ talking about?"

There was a pause. Miley opened her mouth and closed it several times, "Like I said," she repeated, "Just great material for the song, Nicky."

"Miley…"

"No Nick - listen to me. You don't understand. All you'd have to say is that it's over and I would, I really would, leave you alone. But I can't move on with my life 'cos… you will always be a part of it."

The situation was becoming increasingly frustrating and Nick had been in these kinds of situations before. Miley always came out the winner but he was determined not to lose this time; Nick wasn't going to let this conversation fly over.

"Look," he started, not sure how deep he'd like to go with this, "I'm standing right here but it's like you can't see me anymore. I'd give anything to change the past and just get back to the way we were before anything happened but --"

Nick paused. He wasn't as good as this as Miley. Where she knew how she felt with all her heart and wasn't afraid to hide it from him, Nick was too shy to admit any truth he may have been covering. She used his brief silence as a moment of weakness on his behalf.

"We gotta put that in the song," Miley interrupted, "All these post-breakup feelings we've got to manipulate them and use it to write a hit song. I'm confident that once we do that, once we let go and let it all out, we'll be free of each other again."

She knew what she was doing: covering up any mess that may have happened due to her vulnerable moment. She owed Jake that. If he had only heard _half_ the things she had said and done tonight… or even merely thought about.

Nick sighed, "You're right. We just have to let it all out. You can come on as a guest on one of our tours for the album and we'll just let it go out on stage. How does that sound?"

Nick was agreeing with her? Of course he would, especially if it meant they wouldn't have to go down _that_ road again… She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Miley didn't say anything. She was on the border of tears. If Nick wasn't going to fight for them then no one would because she couldn't anymore. She simply nodded.

**Disclaimer 2: Lyrics borrowed without permission from 'I'm Right Here' © Miley Ray Cyrus from the album 'Meet Miley Cyrus' I do not own rights to the lyrics/song and am not associated with Disney, Miley Ray nor anyone who associates with either parties. This is a nonprofit work of fan fiction :)

**A/N: please, please review :) **

**JazzyNileyFizzle I hope you enjoyed their business meeting! xoxo smileyniley487**


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